Christmas

I wish December could be quiet. I really look forward to time to reflect on the true meaning if CHRISTmas. But, I don't think I will have a moment to sit, reflect and just be still; but I can hope for it!

May your Advent season be filled with time to reflect and remember the true reason for this CHRISTmas Season.

On the road again, I just wait to get on the road again!

I am so happy! The husband should be home at about 9 pm this evening.

He is so in demand at work that I think sometime she wishes he could cut himself in half to get more done, but today he is on the road again....Can't wait to see you honey!

Tomorrow his Veteran's Day dinner I promised him!

Thank you.

Thank you will never be enough, but those are the only words that I can udder today.

Thank you to our Veteran's, thank you to those who are serving and than k you to the families that wait for their loved ones to come home from war so that we may have our freedom.

And well thank you to my husband who served our country proudly! He is ARMY STRONG!

GOD'S BLESSING TO ALL ON THIS VETERAN'S DAY

Quiet Night

So it is another quiet night on the home front tonight. Brandon is back in Yuma and not for the last time. I have realized how far I have come in the last two years. And may I gloat and say I am proud of myself!

About two years ago I was still a newlywed and was well, still living at home with my parents. My husband was of course in Yuma and I didn't feel safe staying at our home by myself. So tonight, I sit alone with my two dogs and no husband at home and I have to say I like the break. Don't get me wrong, I miss him like crazy and can't wait for him to come home, but I like not having to cook big meals, do his laundry and remake the entire bed do to his nightly fight with the sheets. I do miss out meals together, our chats, our watching TV and chatting more then watching and well watching him play with the puppies!! I miss having a husband at home.

But, absence can make the heart grow stronger and I it does. AS much as I enjoy the little "break" and the fact I have really grow as a person and as a woman in the past two years, I am proud I can now enjoy a quiet night in my home with my puppies and looking forward to the big meal I will cook for him when he gets home, the laundry I will do and the bed I will gladly make because I was lucky enough to safely sleep next to my best friend!

Ice Cream Maker

I mentioned in my last post that I am going to make Brandon some ice cream.....meet my best friend when it comes to small home appliances! My mom and dad gave us our little friend for our anniversary, and it has paid for itself!

Thanks mom and dad............mom how do you always know a great thing when you see it for the kitchen! Maybe I can put a little weight on that husband of mine!

Rain and Wind....comes to town!

Well, hunkered down for the day, I didn't even want to have to go into the garage to do laundry, but I needed clean clothes! The rain is coming down in buckets, the wind is moving EVERYTHING out of it's place. Winter is going to come in with a bang. ( borrowed the picture, I am not that talented!)

I just can't wait for the husband to get home late this evening!

I think I have been up since about 4 when someones garbage can started rolling down the street, leading Ralf and Annie to have to bark at it, then major rain and wind continued with me snoozing on and off and then more barking at the wind at 6 am and well snoozing until 8 and getting up and out of bed then. I sometimes just have to give up, I guess this is practice for when we have babies! Sleep is not much to be had.

I baked for Bran this morning. Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies, Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting and I will make him some ice cream later this afternoon...thanks to Miss Amanda picking up Heavy Cream on her way home from school for me :-)! I figured he needed something homemade when he returns home!

Thanks for looking at my pointless babel!! And Adrienne, thanks for listening this morning as I continue to think about the next chapter of our little lives!!

Lovely Weekends

Brandon and I ran away for the weekend! The beauty of the mountains is amazing.

It was great to see some family and relax where cell phones don't work and all we did was eat! Didn't take the camera, but oh I love running away for the long weekend we made of it!

Oh and the lightning and thunder made it awesome too!

Thanks for the great weekend Debbie and Bob!

Getting it all done!

It seems like the list doesn't end! I have a retirement party on Sunday for 100 people that I am co-chairing and then I am co-chairing another really big event for the church on October 17 for about 220...........and this on top of all the normal things in life, work, fair and home!

So what do I do when I am stresses, I cook/bake. So yesterday at about 8 am I made homemade ice cream and a cake, then headed to work, came home made dinner and a huge pot of homemade applesauce. I ate way to much after all of that!

So here is to getting it all done. I don't want to sound like I am complaining; I am beyond blessed and I love to do all of this, I just seem a little overwhelmed in the last few days....thanks for listening.

2 yrs ago today.....

I became Mrs. Brandon Boyles!

I am still so proud and happy to his wife.

Honey, here is to many, many more years of bliss!

September...really

So I can't believe that September is here. Turning the page on the calendar.....really September.

August was beyond busy with some major changes taking place at my church and I seemed to spearhead them and then of course THE MONTEREY COUNTY FAIR!! We had a great run and it looks to have been a very successful year with some major changes coming to the fair over the next few months, but all for the better!!

September might have snuck up on me, but I love September because well....the 15th marks our 2 year wedding anniversary! What a blessing the last two years have been!! Love you honey and I love being Mrs. Courtney Boyles!!

Quite around here

Well it is quiet on the home front...

Not that there isn't tons to be done, but the poor poor husband is working from midnight to 10 am for the next week or so.......and that leaves me having to be really quite during the day! I am here guarding his cell phone and being his personal secretary while he sleeps! Brandon does NOT do well with little sleep.

I have been up for a long time........... made breakfast, cleaned up what I could of the house, then did a little work, then made lunch and I just keep trying to be quite. Next I think I shall walk the dogs and do a little Pilate's!

I am looking forward to being able to spend tomorrow afternoon with some lovely old friends playing in Monterey. There I will not have to be QUIET at all!!!

Happy Belated 4th of July!

Sorry for the late 4th post, but I am still waiting for pictures from a friend for the actual BBQ we had....but first and foremost, I thank God for the Country he has given me to live in. I thank him for the brave men and woman who serve our country to continue to give us those freedom's so in honor of all of that....................we slipnslided!

Not, just a slipnslide from say Wal-Mart like this....

No, my husband had to build a bigger and better on! It was 35 feet long by 12 feet wide. How did that fit in the yard one might ask; we have a GIANT back yard, two yards to be in fact!

So, drum roll please....................

It was awesome and I even gave into all the kids and played a little! I still have bruises from it!

All in all we had a great 4th with all the traditional 4th of July food and even homemade ice cream............I want an ice cream maker now!

I hope all if you had a great one as well!

Great Finds~I Have to Share!!

Happy Saturday Friends! I just have to share a few great finds I came across today. Some of it in part for saving gift cards and coupon's, but also just because of great sales!!

Brandon and I will be hosting an 80th Birthday Bash for his grandfather on the 25th and I really wanted to be able to put a beautiful cake on a cake pedestal. I don't have one, but I figured I would come across one....I can't find a picture of just the cake plate online, but here is the whole line!

It matches my kitchen. I also got a serving tray with green dots on the "buy one get on free sale" at Kohl's'!!

My second find of the day was at Costco. I love that place. There is nothing better then bulk food for a good price, but today I found these..............


ModBod Cami's...the really nice long ones for 2 for $20! I think I am going to have to go and grab another color assortment next week. They also had a few shirts and other great things from ModBod!!


I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Off to heat up left overs for dinner!

I have been so bad....here are a few pictures to catch everyone up!

I have been able to spend lots of time with these two guys!

Attended the 6th birthday of little miss Tayler! I held her at just a few weeks old.....I am getting old! Tayler is in the pink! Maggie is in the blue!!!

Helped Amanda get ready for her first Prom! She looked amazing!

We painted the living room with help from Molly, Maggie and Tayler!DIV>

I took "my girls" Maggie and Molly to the CAPA Ballet in Carmel. They were perfoming Sleeping Beauty. My neighbor Amanda was one of the leads! Oh a fairy is so awesome in their eyes! It was beautiful and amazing!!

DIV>

A new puppy arrived next door - Coby!!! He and Ralf have become fast friends! They have play dates at our house!!

I baked 80 cupcakes for Coffee Hour at church! Here is what 80 cupcakes looks like!! It just makes me smile!!

I also had a wonderful time in May enjoying 2 days at Salinas Valley Fair! I love to go back and feel like I did in High School! Fair's are a true love of mine. It was so fun to help out Molly and I became an honorary member and mommy to Spring 4-H! Sorry no pictures to show you...forgot the camera :-(!

And we continue to spoil our Princess Annie!

Better get back to work!

Love, hugs and kisses to everyone!

Promise!

I promise to update this soon. With tons of pictures and fun things to tell you; but until then I am enjoying time with husband who has a week of paid vacation! Yes I said those magic words...PAID VACATION!!!

Until later ..........when my totally hot hubby is back to work!

HE IS RISEN

He is Risen Indeed!

Hallelujah!!!!

May each and everyone feel the many blessings of this Easter.

And may the Easter Bunny treat you well too!

Hitting Home

I saw this quote today and it hit home for me. It is my personal responsibility to care for myself and make sure that I prosper...President Lincoln was an amazing man!

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

Abraham Lincoln

V-Day Love

I realized the love means different things to different people. Love this V-Day was PRIMER!!!!

Brandon and I had a limit of $20 for V-Day gifts to each other. With Christmas and then both of our birthday's we have no money and really don't need anything.

So me and the dogs gave him the Sham-Wow! I am even more excited about these then Brandon! $15 and 8 in the box...so exciting....but me, I got a gallon of Kilz Premium Primer and a darling husband rolling it on the living room walls for me. He is 75% done with the living room, and then he will paint my walls, Bone and my trim a beautiful Swiss Coffee, which is a white just for your info! So thanks husband for the awesome gift!!

Is Janurary already gone....

Does the calendar really read February? I just can't believe it. January was such a busy, busy month for us!!

We rang in the New Year on East Coast time so we could get to bed early. We had a great dinner with my parents that night though and enjoyed getting some much needed rest...but why oh why must people make so much noise at midnight and wake us up! We headed of on the 2nd to Brandon's Aunt and Uncles house and had a great long weekend visit with them and the most wonderful day ever snowboarding at Kirkwood!! Brandon's birthday was celebrated to no end and it was so much fun!

Why has really kept me busy busy busy is Work and Church. Yes church is like a full time job at the moment...I have been elected Treasurer of church and I am in charge of all bookkeeping, etc. I am trying to get it all in order so that it will not be crazy, but I could make a good living doing this if I were to get paid! So that has been a full time job on top of full time work at the moment. Poor hubby...I think I have been a neglecting him a bit.

January came in with a bang and out as well. I spent January 24-29th in Reno, NV at the Western Fair Association Convention. It was a wonderful convention with many good times had by all!

And now February is here and Brandon gave me a cold....so I will be resting a little to get over this and then off to what I am sure will be a very busy February!